Title
Receive an update on the Aquatic Center project.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The Aquatic Center project was over budget and bids were rejected on November 5, 2013. City Council directed City Administration to re-bid the project.
DISCUSSION:
City Administration is working on documents to re-bid the complete project. Bids will be requested in a manner that should increase the number of bids; give more options for alternates; and give certain contractors the ability to include time as a factor in their bid. These measures include:
· Dividing the pool package into indoor and outdoor elements. The "pool package" is all the bodies of water including the water slides with tower. Other packages include concrete, steel, plumbing, electrical, etc. The pool package bid could still be won by one contractor but this should encourage smaller contractors to bid on one part or the other.
· Base bid will include a project completion date with alternates for different dates; the alternates could add or reduce cost. The alternates could lead to opening either the indoor or outdoor portion first, or opening the entire project all at once.
· Most items that were value engineered out of the project will be included in the bid package as alternates.
· Deleting portions of the project, and additional associated re-design costs, will be an option for reducing project cost if necessary.
Bid packages should be completed and ready to advertise in December. Advertising around the holidays has historically been poorly received on City projects resulting in fewer bids than desired. However, the desire is to have the bids out as soon as possible and, therefore, advertising for bids will begin in December. Bids will be re-advertised in early January with a bid opening date in late January. This should maximize time for bidders to prepare and maximize time to follow up and make sure potential bidders are submitting bids.
Estimated rebidding schedule:
· December 6 bid documents available to contractors
· December 13 first advertisement of bids
· December 20 second advertisement of bids
· January 3, 2014 third advertisement of bids (this is an extra effort that exceeds legal requirements)
· January 8, 2014 first pre-bid conference
· January 15, 2014 second pre-bid conference
· January 22, 2014 bid opening
City Council will be updated with bid information as it can be tabulated and verified. Further updates will be made to City Council as information is analyzed; value engineering options are considered if necessary; discussions are held with Advisory Boards; recommended options are prepared; and a recommended construction schedule is created. Bids will be brought to City Council for award, probably in February or March, following those processes.
City Administration is exploring options for providing residents with aquatic opportunities during the 2014 swim season. Further, City Administration is exploring options for providing resident seniors with indoor warm water aquatic opportunities. If City Council's direction is to provide a subsidy for residents to swim elsewhere until the aquatic center is complete, funding for that could come from the adopted fiscal year 2013-14 aquatics operating budget.